


Somewhere Only We Know

by backtothestart02



Series: Rough and Tumble [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Boxing, Coping mechanism, F/M, Family, Friendship, Humor, Reminiscing, Romance, familiar place, joe west mention, no powers, post 5x15
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-07 21:49:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20466164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/backtothestart02/pseuds/backtothestart02
Summary: Post 5x15 - Barry takes Iris boxing in a familiar place.





	Somewhere Only We Know

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WestallenGirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WestallenGirl/gifts).

> Written as another gift to the ever loyal and spectacular Ruthie. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> *Many thanks to sendtherain for beta'ing.

The next morning, bright and early – too early for a Saturday – Barry took Iris to a park near the elementary school they’d attended as children. He had a large duffel bag with him and would not tell her what was inside, except for a couple bottles of water. He eventually copped to towels, but she rejected the notion that there was nothing more in there. She tried to reach for the bag to feel if the huge lumps were hard or soft, but Barry started tickling her in defense. That sent her running, and while it made him chuckle that she thought she could outrun the Flash, he did not activate his speed to catch up with her. He had a plan, and the _both_ of them were going to stick to it.

Finally, he came to a stop and squatted down, unzipping the bag and tossing the inside items onto the grass. Aware now of her husband’s actions, Iris returned to him and watched with wide eyes as Barry Allen created a large square with some rope and rocks, planting two water bottles and towels on larger sized rocks in opposite corners, and in the middle of all of it were two sets of boxing gloves.

She lifted her eyes to his, connecting the dots.

“He told you.”

“He told me.”

Her shoulders slumped.

“Hey, Iris, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.” He came towards her and rubbed her shoulders. “Hell, last year I spent hours in front of the punching bag at STAR Labs beating the shit out of it, pretending it was Savitar or Grodd or some other inconvenient meta.”

She looked up at him hesitantly.

His lips curved at the corner.

“I should’ve included you in on the action.”

She sighed. “It’s just, this Cicada is so… And I was the first one to die when Nora - how many times did she say she-”

“Fifty-three times.”

“Fifty-three times,” she repeated, eyes widening further.

Barry chuckled.

“We’ll blame that one on me. I’d have rewritten the timeline a hundred times after Flashpoint if Jay hadn’t yanked me out of the speed force to give me some sound advice.”

She nodded and finally let a smile appear.

“All right with me.”

He grinned. “So.” He picked up the gloves and handed a pair to her. “Shall we?”

“I don’t know, Bear,” she said, sliding her hands into the gloves. “Last time we did this I beat you to a pulp.”

He chuckled, remembering his eleven-year-old self’s attempt to practice boxing with Iris at Joe’s behest after he got pummeled by Tony.

“Last time I didn’t have super speed and excellent coordination.”

She met his gaze, not considering that. Her lips parted.

“I’m kidding,” he said. “No powers, I promise. And if you beat me-”

“When I beat you,” she corrected. He remained unthwarted.

“If you beat me…you’ll just have gotten more frustration from Cicada out of your system. Plus, I heal easy, so you can wound me all you want.”

“You’re giving me full permission to beat the crap out of you?” she asked, amused.

He pounded his cushioned fists together once and got into a fighting stance.

“You betcha.”

Grinning, Iris slid out of her jacket, put her hair up in a tight ponytail, and walked toward her husband in the makeshift ring he’d created.

Barry went down flat after two punches, which really ruffled Iris’ feathers, since he hadn’t even attempted to take a swing at her.

“Come on, Barry. Just because I don’t heal as fast as you doesn’t mean I don’t heal fast. You have to try to knock me down, or it won’t do anything for me.”

“Iris, I wasn’t-” He got up, dusting his knees and seat of his pants off.

She shot him a look.

“Okay. Fine.”

Round two lasted a little longer. Barry got some jabs in, and for a while, he was actually getting her more than she was getting him. She got a couple right hooks, though, which startled him enough to let her land a punch straight to his stomach. She approached him where he lay on the ground and found his head near one of the larger, sharper rocks. Iris leaned over and pushed the big rock out of the way.

“You big wuss. What if you’d hit that? I don’t know if a split-open head would heal as fast as you’d like, even with your super speed.”

He smiled sheepishly, then let her pull him to his feet.

They began the a third round, appearing to be equally matched this time. Each one got in a fair amount of punches that hit their target, and they were able to avoid each other’s shots with Iris ducking and Barry swerving away out of reach.

But by round five, Barry was losing steam and Iris was just getting started. So, he stopped trying, and this time she didn’t mind. She punched with less power and straddled him when he fell to the ground, almost as light as a feather. Then she grinned as she perched both her gloved fists on either side of her head.

“Do you admit defeat?” she asked, her tongue flicking between her teeth with how giddy she was.

“Defeat,” he croaked, and she leaned down to kiss him.

Just as she’d stuck her tongue in his mouth, she lifted her head and got to her feet. She held out her hands to help him up and gather all their essentials back in the bag.

As they walked back to the car, Iris started grinning again.

“What?” he asked, sensing the high she was still on.

“Oh, nothing,” she said happily.

He bumped her hip with his own.

“Tell me.”

She turned to him with sparkling eyes before weakening just a touch from the way whole face smiled at her.

“Well, all right.”

“I’m ready.”

“I bet.” She paused. “Okay. I almost didn’t help you up.”

“This last time?” he asked, sticking his thumb in the direction they’d left behind.

“Mhmm,” she said. “I almost kissed you, got up, and walked away with you lying on the ground and all the stuff still laying about.”

“Iris West-Allen,” he teased, shaking his head. “I can’t believe you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, I didn’t do it, so you’re fine.”

“Why would you have?” he asked.

“Because I’m in a good mood. I’d rather skip 20 laps around the park than have to pick you, rope and rocks off the ground.”

He chuckled. “I see. So, why didn’t you?”

She shrugged.

“Tell me,” he said, leaning in close.

“I’m a good wife,” she said innocently.

“Oh,” he said, amused. “Is that all?”

“Truthfully?”

He nodded.

“I wanted to touch you,” she said softly, and his eyes blazed with a lustful fire as his heart burned for her. He remembered her subtle touches and how she’d always been nearer to him than the rocks and rope when they’d put everything away.

“That can be arranged,” he said, awestruck, then came to a stop.

She stopped with him and turned to face him. He dropped the bag off his shoulder onto the ground, cupped her face in his sweaty hands and leaned down to kiss her.

Iris let him. She got lost in the kiss. So lost, in fact, that she didn’t realize how long they’d been there kissing until she registered one of his hands moving down towards her ass and the other reaching up into her hair to pull out the hair band.

“Mm!”

He pulled back, smiling. “What?”

“Keep your hands to yourself, you rascal.”

She walked past him and kept walking.

“Wait! Iris!”

He ran after her at normal speed and was still laughing when he caught up. But at home, she pushed him up against the counter as soon as he made dinner, and finished what he’d started. This time things were on her terms, and Barry was whining in frustration before she was through with him.


End file.
